Dubai: Edge of Arabia, which has shed light on the largely unknown contemporary arts and culture of Saudi Arabia, will auction six works of modern and contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish arts on April 19. The sale seeks to raise fund for the expansion of Edge of Arabia's education program and art workshops in Saudi schools and universities. The auction will culminate in December this year with an international symposium in Jeddah to bring local and international Saudi art enthusiasts together for the first time. The set of art works from selected artists is estimated to raise $150,000 or 550,000 dinars. Isabelle de La Bruyère, director at Christie's Middle East, said the auction follows the group's successful exhibitions in London, Venice, Berlin and Istanbul. Major shows are also planned in Dubai in March and Jeddah in the later part of the year. Stephen Stapleton, Edge of Arabia founder, said: “The artists in this sale include the founding members of the Edge of Arabia and are considered pioneers of Saudi contemporary art,” he said. “In a humbling act of appreciation, six artists have generously donated iconic works previously shown in major Edge of Arabia exhibitions in London, Venice, Berlin and Istanbul.” In April 2009, Christie's Dubai held an auction that included a small but important group of works by Saudi Arabian artists – the first time such works had been offered at an international auction, the group said. Highlight of the sale is a three-meter wide wood and copper dome symbolizing the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem by Abdulnasser Gharem, a leading contemporary Middle Eastern artist and cofounder of Edge of Arabia. Entitled “Message/Messenger” and created in 2010, it hides in a wide canvass a small dove, the symbol of peace and is estimated to fetch$70,000-$100,000 or about 257,000-367,000 dinars. The piece was one of the highlights of the group's groundbreaking exhibition in Istanbul. Born in 1973 in Khamis Mushait where he still lives and works, Gharem is, aside from being an artist, a lieutenant colonel in the Saudi Arabian army. He studied at the Al-Miftaha Arts Village in Abha, along with a friend, Ahmed Mater, who co-founded the Edge of Arabia. His works are on display in major art galleries, including the British Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He is determined about his commitment to stay in Saudi Arabia. “Move abroad? No way. My art is related to the people living in Saudi Arabia. I am living in one of the most interesting countries in the world. Why move? I want to show you what has happened in this country. This is my mission.”
